Guardian
by If Tears Left Scars
Summary: He was always there for you. Protecting you, comforting you.


**This was inspired by a Tumblr post I saw. Slenderman is actually a protector of children and exacts vengeance on those that would harm them. **

**Slender does not belong to me.**

* * *

You're five when you see him for the first time.

You're at school, and it's recess. You're playing by yourself on the swings, as all the other children shun you. All of them have seen the bruises you sometimes wear on your face, and they brand you as an outcast. And the teachers...the teachers pretend not to notice at all.

There is a tree, a tall oak tree that stands near the playground, and that's where you see him. He almost stands as tall as the tree and seems to sway along with it. He wears an elegant suit and tie, and his skin is like the color of sun-bleached bones, but his face...you notice he doesn't have one. However, this doesn't scare you at all. It only makes the stranger all the more interesting to you.

You get off the swings and walk towards him. For some reason you start to smile as you walk and it grows bigger with every step closer to the stranger. By the time you reach him, you're grinning from ear to ear. You politely say hello and introduce yourself. The stranger only inclines his head, as if to look you in the face if he had any eyes. You smile again and ask for his name. He does not reply. You wonder if he has a name at all. You think for a moment and then ask if you can call him 'Mr. Suit' (it was the best your five-year old mind could come up with). The stranger seems to pause before nodding his head yes. You let out a laugh, and you don't feel as alone as before.

A few days pass and you notice that no one else seems to be able to see Mr. Suit. You wonder why because you know he isn't just an imaginary friend. He is real. You know because he listens to every word you say. He holds your hand walking to and from school. And, most of all, he hugs you when you need it.

The other kids at your school think you're even weirder, but you don't mind. They have never been kind to you anyway. With Mr. Suit around, they've even stopped bullying you. You're left alone and you're happy with that. School is bearable, sometimes fun, with a friend. It's going home you dread.

You're only five, but you know true fear and pain. Your mom had gone when you were three, leaving you with a drunk, violent father. You sometimes wonder why she didn't take you, but you had soon forgotten her to ease the pain of losing her. All your father did was drink after she had gone, somehow still managing to hold a job and scrape money to buy more alcohol. You had to fend for yourself and, for being only five, you did pretty well. You learned early on to stay quiet around your father and to generally stay out of his way. However, when he did see you, you always came out with bruises and a wounded ego.

It's Friday. While most children can't wait for the day, you absolutely hate it. It means two days of staying in that hellhole you call a home with no escape. You trudge home, and Mr. Suit notices your demeanor. He knows because you told him the first day he walked you home. He had grabbed your hand into one of his slender ones and given a gentle squeeze, silently asking what was wrong. You had sighed, looked Mr. Suit in the face (or lack thereof), and told him about your father. Mr. Suit can't show emotions like other people, but you could tell that he was angry as you finished talking. He told you, in his way, that he would help you, but you had just shaken your head. You had already resigned to your fate, living with a monster of a father until you came of age. Mr. Suit had stood adamant about helping you, though. You had just shrugged and thanked him for the thought.

As you approach your house, Mr. Suit makes a noise that sounds like hissing. You look up at him and see tentacles writhing from his back. You aren't scared, however, and you hug your only friend to calm him down. It works as the tentacles slowly disappear and he wraps his long arms around you. You smile and say goodbye. When you look over your shoulder, he's gone. You know he's somewhere nearby. For some unknown reason, he won't go into your house.

You reach the front door to your house and take a deep breath before entering. The door creaks slightly and you flinch, holding your breath. Nothing happens and you step further into the house, quietly walking. You search for your father, and you find him passed out drunk in front of the television. You sigh in relief; he won't wake up until tomorrow morning. You head to your room to put your school supplies away and to change into more comfortable clothing. You stealthily creep (it doesn't hurt to be too careful) into the kitchen for a small snack before going back outside to play with Mr. Suit. You play for hours until you finally tire out and just lie sprawled on the ground. Mr. Suit sits beside you, and the two of you bask in the fading sunlight and comfortable silence. Finally, with a sigh, you get up. You don't want to go back home, but you have nowhere else to go. You hug Mr. Suit and say your farewells, heading home.

You think you're safe from your father but you see him awake and stumbling around when you return. You run to your room and lock yourself in, hearing your father yell obscenities and bang on your door. You cover your ears and wait for him to leave you alone. After a few minutes you hear him limp away, muttering to himself. You finally relax; you managed to escape harm this time around. You don't even bother changing and you just drift to sleep on the floor.

* * *

When you wake up, you stare at an unfamiliar ceiling. You wonder where you are and sit up, noticing you're in a hospital. Minutes pass and a nurse comes in to check your vital signs, etc. and to explain to you what happened. What she says first puts you in a daze.

_"Your father is dead."_

At first you wonder why the nurse didn't bother sugarcoating her words, but it doesn't matter. You would've found out anyway. You hear the words stove and fire, but it doesn't really register. _"Your father is dead"_ is the only thing whirling in your mind. The next words the nurse says brings you out of your stupor, though. Apparently, you had escaped the fire without any injury; you hadn't even smelt remotely of smoke. All the adults were puzzled by this, but you know that Mr. Suit had been the one who saved you. You also have a sneaking suspicion that he was the one who had started the fire. But none of that matters now because you're so tired. Your eyelids droop and you drift off into the world of dreams.

* * *

_Nine years later_

Today is your first day of high school. You're nervous and excited, dreading and looking forward to it. Your parents had dropped you off a few minutes ago with a hug and a good luck. You had been adopted by them three months after the whole fiasco with the fire that killed your birth father. They were loving parents, and you were happy with them.

But right now, you're worried about your first day and whether you'll make a fool of yourself or do something wrong or- You don't worry long before Mr. Suit is beside you. He puts a reassuring hand on your back, silently telling you that you'll be fine. You calm down significantly, and you smile up at him. You don't know what you'd do without him. He stays with you until you find your group of friends, and then he seemingly disappears into thin air. He hates being around anyone except you.

When you had been adopted, your parents had taken you to a new town where no one knew who you were. It had been a fresh start for you, and you had made friends at your new school.

Now you talk with your friends about your summer break and other mundane things. The bell rings, and your first official day of high school begins...

Years pass, and it's your last month of your senior year of high school. So much has happened. You had a few relationships here and there (currently, you've been dating the same person for about two years), you got your driver's license, and now you're about to head off to college. Throughout it all, Mr. Suit was always there, silently supporting you.

However, you can feel deep within yourself that he will leave soon. For good. That makes you sad, but you knew it would happen. You've been growing up and spending more time without Mr. Suit. You feel bad, but he understands. He's never angry or upset at you.

It's the final day before you leave for college. Your mom had been crying and fussing about you, asking if you packed this or that. You had smiled and given her a long hug, telling her not to worry. Your father also had tears in his eyes, and you hugged him, wiping away your own tears. The three of you spent the morning and half the afternoon together enjoying each other's presence. Now, you're by yourself in the forest behind your home. You told your parents you would be back before dinner, and they let you go. You're thankful for how understanding they are.

You sit down and lean against a tree, watching and waiting. You only have to wait for a few seconds before Mr. Suit is sitting next to you. The two of you just sit there, staring at the trees and listening to the myriad of sounds.

You don't know what to say to him. Mr. Suit was your first friend and he's been with you forever, but you know you have to part ways. You climb onto his lap (like you used to when you were younger) and hug him tight. He wraps his arms around you, telling you it will be okay. You sob into his suit jacket, and he rubs your back soothingly. You stay like that for a long while.

Finally, you wipe your tears away and spend the rest of the day playing with Mr. Suit just like when you were five. You'll miss him, but you don't regret anything. Your phone rings with a text message from your parents. Dinner will be ready soon. You look up sadly at Mr. Suit. He nods in understanding, and you give him one last hug. You walk away, and, when you look back, he's gone.

* * *

_Ten years later_

The sky is clear and sunny while you watch your child play around in the backyard. You had gotten a good job a few years after graduating college, married your high school sweetheart, and started a family. You're holding your second child in your arms, who is sleeping peacefully.

You notice your firstborn seems to be playing with someone not there. You watch more closely, and you realize that the way your child is playing is similar to how you played with Mr. Suit. Then it hits you. Your child _is_ playing with your old friend. You just can't see him. That makes you a bit sad, but you shake it off. You're glad now. You know that Mr. Suit will always be there for your children and the rest of your descendants. You whisper your thanks, and you can just see him nodding in the way he does.

* * *

**Darker ending will be posted eventually.**


End file.
